In mid December 2025, Abi Keogh, volunterr at Olivier Cornet Gallery, wrote about Miriam McConnon, 'Peter's Armour', oil on canvas, 70x55cm. This work is an oil on canvas and is available to purchase for 1350 euro. 

‘Peter’s Armour’ (70x55cm) is an artwork by Miriam McConnon which I encountered while exploring the gallery’s storage area. This work was part of Miriam’s solo exhibition ‘The Refugee’s Armour’, which was exhibited from 24th of September up until 4th November 2023.

As part of this exhibition, Miriam interviewed five young men who had been forced to flee their homes. During these interviews each of the young men brought objects to Miriam which were of deep sentimental value to them. Each object served as a link to their homeland. Drawing upon the objects which these men brought to her, Miriam recaptured the beauty of them within her paintings by developing several conceptual jackets which she referred to as ‘armours’. These jackets depicted in her paintings do not physically exist rather, they are an amalgamation of the personal belongings which these young men had shown Miriam.

‘Peter’s Armour’ specifically responds to the objects brought forward by a young man named Peter. I discovered Peter had fled from Famagusta in Cyprus, through Miriam’s work ‘Chairs from Famagusta - Peter's Story’, which further alludes to Peter’s life. However, through ‘Peter’s Armour’, this imagined armour, Miriam presents the audience with a visual representation of Peter’s lived experiences. She offers him a voice through this artwork, reiterating the importance of Peter’s story. The belongings which Peter brought from his homeland may be some of the only remnants of his past life, a realisation that confronts the audience with the harsh truth. Furthermore, this armour (Peter’s object) can be understood as a symbolic layer of protection; something which Peter may believe necessary for his survival in a new and unfamiliar country.